We were on home assignment from our ministries in Papua New Guinea. A generous gift enabled my husband and me to spend several days in Arizona. I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing barrel cactus, prickly pear, and — especially — the majestic saguaro cactus that is unique to the Sonoran Desert. Yet as I reveled in the beauty of the desert’s varied plants, I was also keenly aware of how very arid this place is. Visible indications of spring and fresh new life were pretty much absent.

Except in Sabino Canyon.

The streambeds there were lush oases teeming with a seemingly endless variety of green plants. In stark contrast to the arid desert, Sabino Canyon exuded life.

The difference? Water! The continuous living water making its way through the canyon.

I thought a lot about Papua New Guinea while we were in Arizona. The Sonoran Desert is physically dry; Papua New Guinea’s desert is a spiritual one. I saw how living water transformed a small part of the desert; I have also seen how the Living Water was transforming lives in the place where God had called us to serve.

I have prayed for — and worked toward — the day when every Papua New Guinean man, woman, and child can hear of this Living Water in the language that speaks most clearly to their hearts and minds. Though this beautiful land is no longer my home, I continue to long for the transformation of the spiritual landscape of this entire nation — and of all the other places where my global teammates serve.